A group of local manufacturers and engineers went back to basics last week when Locate East Sussex held a manufacturers breakfast meeting at Hastings Museum.

After a morning of presentations the group was introduced to the museum’s newest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education resource – LEGO!

But it was LEGO with a difference. The WeDo 2.0 robotics kits use LEGO bricks and smart technology to make programmable mini machines. Engineering skills were tested, but in the end, everyone succeeded in coding their LEGO creations to start and stop using motion sensors.

Kits are available as a teaching resource this autumn for all local schools, with free workshops being run at Hastings Museum. The workshops include Introduction to Programming, Code Making and Code Breaking and Forces and Friction.

Students can get a taste of engineering and coding, something they might like to consider as a future career.

Kim Forward, lead councillor for regeneration said: “The LEGO kits are great fun and present engineering and coding in a fun way. Our local engineering and manufacturing firms need skilled engineers and LEGO offers a fantastic introduction to what could become a lifelong passion.”